Artist Statement

I use large scale photographic portraits of people to describe strength through the body. Subjects are aware of the camera and aware of themselves, bringing the viewer into the work through direct gaze. The figures are seen adjacent to urban landscapes filled with vegetation, often nearing sunset or at night. Shadows and light depict the passage of time and bring attention to a transitory period. Darkness signifies uncertainty, for details are missing from the imagery, while the figures can be seen clearly, illuminated by light. Many of the subjects are young women, living in a transitional period of life: on the cusp of adulthood, but still emerging. Portraits are coupled with images of landscapes, which describe the exteriors of domestic space, especially pointing to an exclusion from the interior. I place my subjects in the middle of these settings to depict how they hold their own.

The viewer can in turn feel seen in these moments because of how willing the subjects are, creating an open dialogue and fostering a connection between the two. Photography allows the subject to have control over the way they are recorded, for they are rendered how they are physically seen. I aim to shift these fleeting moments into permanent occasions.